


One More Night

by SHSL_Simp12345



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Angst, Graphic Description of Corpses, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, I've never seen Hiro angst before so I made it myself, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), M/M, Makoto has a moral crisis, Suicidal Thoughts, Survivor Guilt, Togami Byakuya is Bad at Feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:09:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28941243
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSL_Simp12345/pseuds/SHSL_Simp12345
Summary: Junko Enoshima has fallen.The doors out of Hope's Peak Academy have open, and the remaining survivors have been freed from this living hell. It's over, but the burden is still carried, and some memories are too painful to leave behind so soon. So they decide to stay for one more night.
Relationships: Asahina Aoi/Ogami Sakura (implied), Naegi Makoto/Togami Byakuya
Comments: 6
Kudos: 110





	One More Night

It was over.

The senseless slaughter, this horrible, messed up killing game… was over. Junko Enoshima had died, Monokuma was gone, and the door was open, ready for them to all leave this hellhole at any time.

It should have been relieving. The weight of the world had been lifted off their shoulders. The weight of knowing, at any moment, you or someone you love could end up dead, the weight of knowing that with the next motive, it may be your turn to snap, all of it was over and done with. But with so many answers just came more questions. Questions about what was beyond the unlocked door, particularly. Would it be better? Would it be a horror show? Or, worst of all, would it just be nothing? Would they have fought so hard, grieved so hard, lost so many lives just to find that there was nothing waiting for them? No people, no plants, no animals, no buildings? What could they do if that was the case?

That worry lingered in Makoto’s mind. Of course it did. He always tried to stay optimistic, keep positive so no more of his friends would succumb to despair, but even he had to be realistic sometimes. And that meant considering every possibility. That was a very real one. One he had to factor in.

But also, he knew, deep down, he had to have hope. Hope that there would be something more out there waiting for them. Even if it was chaos, and destruction, there had to be something. They’d fought too hard to leave just to be faced with nothing.

The door was unlocked, but nobody dared take a step closer to it. They all just stared, some fearful, some uncertain. The first to speak up was Byakuya, who was looking more impatient than anything.

“Can we just go already? There’s no point in wasting another second when we’ve waited this long already.” He pushed his glasses up a bit as he spoke, clearly irritated that none of his classmates had made a move to leave.

Nobody spoke for a long time. It was as if they hadn’t even heard him. Makoto had, but he didn’t know what to say. What could he say? He tried to be a beacon of hope during these dark times, but even he had to admit he was afraid to leave. Afraid that, beyond this hell lied something so much worse.

When Byakuya realized no one was going to answer his question, he let out a scoff. “Must I do everything myself?” Then, he walked straight up to the door, but before he could open it…

“What if there’s nothing there?”

Everyone seemed to freeze up at the words. Slowly turning to the source of the worry, all eyes were on Hina. What Makoto expected was fear, but what he did not account for was the possibility that the poor swimmer just didn’t have the energy to convey such an emotion anymore. That her expression would be completely blank when they all turned to look at her.

Byakuya, surprisingly enough, seemed to be caught off guard by this comment. “Excuse me?”

“What if we open the door, and there’s nothing there?” Hina’s voice was thick with emotions as she locked eyes with the ultimate affluent progeny. “What if we open the door, and it’s worse? It’s like Junko said… we’re only in here because of the biggest most awful tragic event in history.”

“We’ll make do,” came Byakuya’s instant reply. Clearly, he was sick and tired of waiting.

Kyoko butted in. “I can’t help but share Hina’s concerns. This place has been… a nightmare, to put it lightly, but the mastermind has been eliminated. For all we know, this is now merely a normal, non-murderous school, and an elite one, at that. There's enough food to last us a while, we have a warm place to sleep, and everything seems to be functioning well enough to keep us alive for the time being." She put a hand to her chin, the cogs in her head clearly turning, it was as if steam was coming out of her ears. "I can't imagine it could get better than this outside…"

"Are you serious?!" Hiro gave his input now, his voice trembling a bit. "I-I dont wanna spend one more second in this place! It just reminds me of everyone who's died, it's giving me the heebie-jeebies!"

"Despite his… odd way of phrasing it, I hate to admit I agree with Hagakure," Byakuya sighed, giving a disappointed look in the clairvoyant's direction. "Not about the reminder of the deaths causing me any sort of concern. I just want to get out of here as fast as I can."

Hina wrapped her arms around herself in a self-soothing manner. "What do you even have out there that's so important to get back to anyways? Didn't you hear Junko? The Togami Empire has fallen."

Her words seemed to chip at his unfazed exterior. Makoto noted Byakuya's lip twitching, his expression getting dangerously dark. Surely, a fight would break out any second now, and succumbing to despair right after gaining such hope wouldn't do anyone any good.

"One more night," Makoto finally decided to butt in. 

All eyes were on him, and he almost shrunk into himself. He had to pull himself together, be their light at the end of the tunnel. Just as he had always been. So he straightened his posture and continued.

"One more night. We shouldn't be scared of seeing what's out there, but… we don't know when we're gonna get a warm place to sleep next. So one more night here, and we leave first thing in the morning."

Byakuya scoffed. "That hardly seems necessary-"

"Okay, well then you can leave," Hina snapped with newfound fury that seemed to come nearly out of nowhere. "But don't expect anyone other than Fukawa to follow you. Do you really want that?"

That seemed to get to the Ultimate Affluent Progeny. Sending a look of distaste in Toko's direction, he took in a slow, deliberate breath. "Of course I don't." Then, seemingly deciding there was no winning, he added, "Fine. One more night. Not a minute longer." 

Then, the progeny straightened his jacket and stormed off, clearly frustrated he hadn't gotten his way. Toko called out for him to wait for her as she scurried along behind him like a lost puppy. A tense silence fell over the room.

Makoto was surprised, if he was being completely honest. Hina and Byakuya had never really gotten along before now, but the girl had been downright hostile towards him, really hitting below the belt. She had said things that she knew would get under his skin, seeming almost desperate to stay here for just one more night.

But before he could ask her about it, she left too. Turning swiftly on her heel, she went the exact same way Byakuya went, and one could only assume the two were going to lock themselves in their dorms until it was time to leave.

"She misses her," Kyoko said, breaking the silence.

Oh.

It didn't take a genius to realize who Kyoko was talking about. Sakura. Nobody had been closer to Hina than Sakura. Their bond had been so strong, Makoto found himself questioning, at times, if it was strictly platonic. But no matter what, the two had been as close as Taka and Mondo, close enough for the swimmer to be willing to let everyone die to avenge Sakura. And unlike Makoto and Sayaka, Hina had no other fond memories to look back at to remember her, not any that she could get back, at least. This school was all that was left of her, along with the other blackeneds and victims. So he could see why poor Hina felt reluctant to leave it all behind so easily.

Makoto understood. Of course he understood. Losing someone you love in here was tough, and each death was a burden he knew he'd have to carry for the rest of his life. Condemning his friends, being the judge and jury, it was draining. Both physically and emotionally.

Each blackened, each victim, they fought before they died. Desperate for their lives, they battled to earn the right to keep living them, but failed. It must have hurt even more for Hina to know the person she cared about most had willingly given up.

He wanted to chase after her, try and be some sort of comfort, but was swiftly stopped by a gloved hand on his shoulder.

"I'll talk to her," Kyoko said, leaving no room for discussion. "You've done more than enough. The weight of the world is off your shoulders, Makoto. Go relax."

Relax. It was certainly inviting… "B-but I-"

It was too late. Before he could argue any further, Kyoko walked straight past him, no doubt going to Hina's room. Letting out a sigh, Makoto let the detective's words echo in his head.

‘The weight of the world is off your shoulders, Makoto. Go relax.’

He didn't remember the last time he let himself relax. Even when he knew he was safely locked in his dorm for the night, the worry he could never quite seem to shake would gnaw at him, reminding him that any day now, they could all wake up to another dead body. And one day, it might be his.

But it never happened. He survived, and now he had to learn how to live again. And maybe, just maybe, that'd start with a little bit of relaxation.

So he made his way back to his dorm.

-

Makoto couldn't shake the unease he felt as he opened the door, taking in every inch of the room in a way he hadn't since… the first murder. He could still picture it clearly. The slash marks everywhere, the bed a mess, everything thrown carelessly to the ground… and the bathroom. That gruesome, heartbreaking scene was one that still paid him the occasional visit in his dreams. 

Seeing the girl he once called a friend in such a position, it was a gut-wrenching sight. The knife sticking out of her body, blood splattered all over the tiny room, her expression way too calm for such a terrifying scene. He remembered how hard he had to fight just for everyone to believe he was innocent, and it was all because she was going to frame him for the murder she originally planned on committing… 

Right. He was supposed to be relaxing. Kyoko told him to relax.

Sitting down on his bed, he took a second, staring at the gold plated sword not too far from him. The very same one Leon had used to deflect what Makoto could only assume would be quite a fatal blow with a kitchen knife. What would have happened if Sayaka had been successful? Everyone was so quick to believe he had done it, even when the plan didn't go quite how Sayaka hoped it would. 

And more importantly, what would the Ultimate Pop Sensation do? Would she stick to her lie? Keep pushing the idea that Makoto did it, or would she falter? Would the guilt build up inside of her, or was that just not possible for someone consumed by despair like she was? And would her plan have been a success? Would she have walked out of the school, or would every clue point back to her? Just like with Leon?

Not even a minute in this room, and he was already so consumed by his thoughts. He had to get out of here.

So he promptly got out of bed, nearly scrambled out, desperate to leave as fast as he could. But just as he was about to leave, out of the corner of his eye, he saw what he thought was… some sort of pink liquid on the ground near the bathroom door. Panicking, he froze in place, his heart clenching, nearly stopping, his entire body turning to ice as he rushed to find whoever was in there, to save them, to do anything. 

But when he finally opened the door, there was nothing there.

The adrenaline was still coursing through his body. Letting his eyes frantically search each inch of the room until he was satisfied with saying what he saw was all in his head, he eventually let out a sigh of relief. His shoulders slacked, but he was still near hyperventilating, his hands trembling uncontrollably.

No one was here. No one had died.

He repeated those words in his head until he believed them, and eventually, he calmed down enough to move his body and walk straight out the door.

-

Before Makoto knew it, his feet had led him to the dining hall. Hiro was the only one in there aside from Makoto, sitting down at one of the tables, seemingly in a lot of distress. His gaze was focused on his hands, clasped together tightly. 

Makoto thought back to how Hiro had protested staying any longer. In all honesty, he couldn’t blame the poor guy. While Hina wanted to cling to the memories of the fallen, no matter how terrible, it was clear Hiro was ready to just leave this all behind. He supposed, as someone quite clearly very spiritual, staying in a place with such bad energy for a second longer than he had to must have been a lot on him.

So Makoto wanted to ease his worries, if only for a moment.

Hiro finally seemed to pull himself out of his thoughts when Makoto sat down next to him. His eyes, shockingly enough, were bloodshot from what Makoto could only assume were tears.

“Hiro…?” Makoto tried to be soothing as he put a hand on his classmate's shoulder.

“I hate being here,” Hiro complained, pouting a little bit. “There’s nowhere I can go that doesn’t remind me of how many people have died. Not even my own room is safe! I just keep thinking about how easy it was for Celeste and Hifumi to plant all that evidence there…”

Makoto could empathize with Hiro. Though the two rarely talked, they seemed to have a little in common. Both had been manipulated in different ways to be drawn as the villain at least once. Both had to fight just so they weren’t seen as killers. 

“Taka didn’t deserve to die,” Hiro said out of nowhere. “I mean, none of em deserved to die. But he… he was such a good person. He was getting better. I dunno if you guys noticed or… really cared, but he was in such a dark place when Mondo died… but he was getting better.”

That’s right. Taka had really taken Mondo’s death hard. He barely spoke, barely slept, barely ate. He was a shell of the man he once was, so full of life and purpose and drive. He was always pushing everyone else to be the best they could possibly be. But when things got bad, no one was there to lift him up. No one except Hiro, apparently.

“Maybe if we all had tried to be there for him… Maybe he’d still be here,” Hiro kept talking. It was like he’d been holding this all in until now. “None of you cared. None of you even tried to be there for him. If it weren’t for me, he would have starved to death, and I… I was blamed for his murder.”

Makoto could see his eyes fill with tears. “I… Hiro, you were framed, it’s not anyone’s fault-”

What happened next, Makoto didn’t really expect. Hiro cried. No, not just cried, he sobbed. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed, his huge head of hair tilting down with him. The poor luckster froze up, just watching Hiro bawl.

“D-do you know how much that sucks?!” He sniffled, his shoulders shaking as he wept. “I was the only one that gave a damn about him, and everyone made me the bad guy!”

He did. He did know how much it sucked. Probably more than anyone, he understood exactly what Hiro was talking about. But he didn’t say that. Instead, he did the first thing he could think of and wrapped his arms around the clairvoyant, holding him close as he cried. 

“It should have been me,” he heard Hiro whimper out. “It should have been me, it should have been me. Why couldn’t it have been me?”

And it broke Makoto’s heart, because he’d thought that exact thing too many times to count.

-

The nighttime announcement was absolutely chilling.

Hearing Monokuma’s voice once again, ringing out through the entire school, it sent everyone into a momentary panic before realizing each one had been pre-recorded. The threat had been eliminated for good, and tomorrow morning would be the last time they ever had to hear that voice again. So they allowed themselves to breathe.

Though the killing game was over, everyone was pretty exhausted and ready to pass out by now. So despite the rule having no meaning for being in place anymore, everyone headed to their dorms for the night.

Well, everyone except for Makoto.

He thought some time away from his room would do him some good. That his intrusive thoughts would leave him alone if he gave it some time. But the second he opened the door, he just felt so dizzy. The unease swallowed him whole, and all he thought about was opening the bathroom door to find Hina or Hiro or Kyoko or Byakuya or Toko dead, their lifeless forms sprawled out in countless gruesome manners. He couldn't lose anyone else, he just couldn't. There was only so much a person could go through, even someone as resilient and optimistic as Makoto, before they eventually… broke. And he was getting dangerously close to that point.

The guilt he felt was crushing. Each of his former classmates seemed to haunt him. To be honest, for most of his life, he had always been skeptical about the idea of ghosts or any sort of spirit. And he wasn’t sure what this was, but their presences were unmistakable. They were taunting him, teasing him, whispering in his ear and backing him into a corner.

The price to pay for survival was killing him in a whole different way. The lines between good and bad were blurred, morality thrown out the window in this sort of situation. But when the curtains fell on this dreaded killing game, he was left with the sickening thought that he was no worse than any of the killers.

Who was he to say who deserved to live and who deserved to die? Who was he to condemn, to make that call? A life for a life is still two lives stolen. Everybody, even Celeste had their reasons for killing. To live is to be human, that drive is instilled in everyone.

But he had cut their lives short, the very same thing those people were punished for doing. How was that fair?

With all these thoughts swarming, suffocating him, the only coherent thought he could have was that he could not be alone tonight. So, forcing himself to keep that coherent train of thought, he went through the mental list of his classmates that he could go to. Not Hina, or Hiro, they were all working through their own distress over different topics. Kyoko had already gone to comfort Hina, he couldn’t ask her to do more than she already had. Toko was a hard no. Seemed there was only one person he could go to…

So, with shaky legs, he forced himself in front of Byakuya’s dorm room, frantically knocking at his door. After a terrifyingly long pause, Makoto was about to give up and deal with this on his own when the door finally opened, and… 

Huh.

Makoto’s first thought when he saw Byakuya was that he had never seen him not dressed up. Instead of his usual white button down, blazer, and dress pants, he had on a black long sleeved shirt, and… Wow. Makoto had never pegged Byakuya to be the type to wear sweatpants.

“Are you going to explain what you’re doing here, or are you just going to keep ogling at me like that dreaded Fukawa girl?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Makoto snapped out of his stupor. “I- sorry, I, um-” He looked down at his shoes, picking at his cuticles before asking, “Can I stay in your room tonight? Please? I don’t… I can’t be alone. Please.”

Byakuya seemed a bit taken aback by this. Glancing about to make sure no one else was listening in on their conversation, he stepped back and gestured for Makoto to enter his room. “You really must be the Ultimate Lucky Student, Naegi, because I’m feeling generous tonight. In.”

Makoto was grateful for the generosity. Byakuya’s acts of kindness were displayed in such odd ways, but he was trying. And he couldn’t be more appreciative. “Thank you, Togami-kun.”

“It’s my pleasure. Just don’t touch anything. We’ll be gone first thing in the morning, but I’d still rather not sleep in a room that’s been tainted with your grubby hands.”

“Right…”

Makoto couldn't help but smile fondly. Despite all the growth Byakuya had been through, he was still Byakuya through and through, and he had to appreciate that. Knowing that at least one thing could stay a constant in this world of changes.

“What, pray tell, compelled you to come to me while in such clear distress?” Byakuya asked out of the blue.

Makoto supposed he had a point asking. Byakuya wasn’t exactly the best when it came to emotional support of any kind. He wasn’t one to sugarcoat things, not even a little. Empathy was his weak point, and he was anything but an optimist. In all ways, he and Makoto were opposites. The only thing that Makoto could possibly think of that they had in common was their unstoppable drive to achieve whatever they wanted. 

Though, Makoto’s drive was what pushed him to succeed in each trial. Byakuya’s pushed him to soil his hands with another student’s blood.

“Funnily enough, after going through the list, you were actually the one that I decided I’d be the least of a burden to,” Makoto admitted, letting out a shy laugh as he sat down on the edge of Byakuya’s bed. The room looked identical to every other room, but it seemed Byakuya had given it his own flair. Everything was neat and tidy, not a speck of dust to be seen. Books clearly taken from the library were stacked on the nightstand, a bookmark made out of a scrap of paper poking out of the top book. Though it wasn’t much, it was enough to make him notice, and appreciate how rooms that were once identical could give off the owner’s energy after only a couple weeks of being lived in.

“Oh?” Byakuya replied, walking over to his nightstand and picking out that top book, settling into bed and cracking it open. “And what on earth led you to that conclusion?”

“Hina and Hiro aren’t holding up too well, they don’t need me bringing the mood down,” Makoto answered. “Kyoko already spent today comforting Hina, I couldn’t ask her to do any more for us. And I’m pretty sure Toko hates me. So, yeah, that brought me here.”

“So, I was your last resort, is what you’re saying.”

He phrased it as if he was just stating a fact, not asking a question. The certainty in his voice made Makoto feel a pang of guilt, and he rushed to correct him.

“Oh- no no,” Makoto insisted, gesturing frantically as he tried to remedy his mistake. “I just… felt bad bothering you. You’d never be a last resort for me, I… I like your company, you know. I just don’t entirely know if you feel the same.”

Byakuya faltered for a moment. His gaze flicked away from his book and over to Makoto, his expression unreadable. A silence fell over the two for a moment before he let out a sigh, muttering out, “Your company isn’t the worst compared to everyone else here,” as if it physically pained him to say that before all but burying his face back in his book.

For Byakuya, that was basically a compliment. “I appreciate it, Togami-kun.”

A silence fell over the two for a while as Byakuya continued to read and Makoto continued to let his thoughts consume him.

He was a killer. It hadn't dawned on him until now, but he was a killer. He may not have delivered the fatal blow. He didn't stab anyone, or hit anyone with a dumbbell or large mallet. But he made the vote, that conscious decision to end another human life. Punished with the same thing each Blackened had been condemned for. Leon, Mondo, Celeste. They were all gone because of Makoto. You had to kill three or more people to be a serial killer, right? He was no worse than Genocider, in a way.

The thing to snap him out of his thoughts was the loud, sudden noise of a book slamming shut. Flinching violently, he turned to look up at Byakuya, who looked irritated beyond belief.

"For the love of God, Naegi, just spit it out already," he ordered, setting his book aside and crossing his arms as he narrowed his eyes at the boy. "You clearly have something on your mind, and it's making you look pathetic. So come now. Out with it."

Makoto hesitated for a moment, wondering if he trusted Byakuya enough to say. "I wasn't subtle, huh?"

"Not in the slightest. Now talk."

He caved. "Am I a bad person?"

Byakuya narrowed his eyes even more. "Don't ask stupid questions."

That seemed to be all he had to say. But what did that mean? Was it stupid because he obviously wasn't a bad person? Or was it stupid because he obviously was a bad person? He couldn't stop overthinking things.

But it wasn't the end. "Naegi, if I'm being completely honest, you're the closest to good we have left."

And the way Byakuya said it, with such sincerity in his voice. His usual stone cold tone replaced with one that was almost soft, more gentle, it seemed foreign coming from him. Makoto was rendered speechless for a moment.

"B-but…" He couldn't believe it. How could he possibly believe he was a good person ever again? "But I'm the reason three people are dead."

"What, the blackeneds? They are the reason they are dead, Naegi. They played the game, they knew the rules-"

"But I let them die! I stooped down to their level, I-I'm no better than them!" Makoto's head hurt. Everything hurt. It felt like he was carrying such a weight in his chest, and hot tears started slowly trying to escape his eyes. "How can I ever forgive myself for seeing my classmates getting murdered and just letting it happen?!"

Byakuya's expression held no sympathy. No pity whatsoever. It was the same cold expression he normally wore, but… there was almost something else underneath that Makoto couldn't quite place. "Naegi, do you blame the killers for their actions?"

The question caught him off guard for a moment. "I… no, of course not. They- they would've never done what they did under normal circumstances, the mastermind is the only one to blame."

"Well then why can you not even fathom the idea of thinking the same way when it comes to yourself?"

And it was that question that made Makoto lose all ability to speak. The only proper reaction he could give after processing that were the hot tears that finally spilled, and quiet sniffling as he tried to compose himself. As he cried, he felt a sudden pressure on his body, and it took him a moment to realize Byakuya was hugging him. Byakuya Togami was hugging him.

"Oh, come now, the tears are a little unnecessary," Byakuya murmured, his voice almost soothing despite the less than kind words. "You need to start seeing the good in yourself that you see in everyone else. Hypocrisy isn't a good look, Naegi."

Makoto laughed. It was quiet and weak and shaky, but he couldn't help but laugh, because fuck. That was such a Byakuya way of being comforting. It wasn't gentle or sweet or understanding in any way possible. But to say it wasn't kind would be a lie… because underneath the snide comments and judgemental tone, if you listened close enough, you could hear how much he cared. How, despite his struggles to show it, he wanted you to know he cared. And the way he held Makoto close to his chest and let him cry all over his shirt that night just proved it.

And maybe, just maybe, if Byakuya saw the good in him, held him without any fear or hesitation, then he wasn't as bad as his brain liked to tell him he was.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm kind of nervous to post this one, seeing as it has a much more serious tone than my first work. But I'm proud of it!! Exploring the aftermath of such a traumatic situation was really interesting, and all the support on my last fic definitely helped push me to finish this one. I hope you enjoyed!!


End file.
